


you must be a photographer, cause i can picture us together

by changbinloml



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Gay, Homophobia, Just in general, Kim Seungmin is Whipped, Kim Seungmin-centric, Lee Minho | Lee Know is Whipped, Lee Minho | Lee Know is a Little Shit, Lee Minho | Lee Know-centric, M/M, Meeting the Parents, Mentions of Drowning, confident gays, minho is so funny i love him, nobody dies dw its lighthearted, rich chan, rich seungmin, seungmin and chan are siblings, seungmins parents suck, wrote this in 2.5 days wtf im tired, yh seungmins parents suck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:15:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28326678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/changbinloml/pseuds/changbinloml
Summary: Seungmin has never been fond of Christmas. Of course, that's not to say he doesn't  appreciate the time and all it's charms- in fact, he would probablyloveChristmas if it weren't for one thing; his parents.Seungmin needs help coming out, and Minho just happens to be in the right place at the right time. Sort of.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Felix, Kim Seungmin/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 35
Kudos: 338





	you must be a photographer, cause i can picture us together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hyunshalo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyunshalo/gifts).



> based off the prompt my friend gave me like three months ago that went smth like 'rich kdrama boy seungmin saves someone from drowning and breaks his camera in the process, person he saves insists on buying him a new camera'

Seungmin had never been particularly fond of Christmas.

Now, don't get me wrong- that wasn't to say he didn't _appreciate_ the festive season. He had always enjoyed the seasonal drinks that would be put on special, or walking home surrounded by twinkling lights and those large inflatable Santas, and of course, even Seungmin had enjoyed a smooch under the mistletoe on occasion. No, the true cause of Seungmin's disdain towards Christmas was something far more personal- his parents.

Seungmin was grateful for his parents, he really was; they had clothed him, fed him, kept a roof over his head, and tried their best to make sure that he would never want for anything. Despite how grateful he was, though, it didn't stop him from feeling very bitter about his upbringing. You see, in Seungmin's honest opinion, his parents owned what could only be described as _way too much fucking money_ , which meant that, rather than trying to _earn_ Seungmin's affection, they had instead tried to buy it. Growing up, Christmas had just been an opportunity to shower him with everything but what he truly wanted, and Seungmin knew that back then he would have traded all his gifts for just a hug from his mother in a heartbeat.

Now, though, Seungmin was quite happy to simply pretend his parents didn't exist. He was thriving at university, he had loving friends and a cosy apartment to return to every day, and there was nobody there to criticise his every move or bother him about changing his course to economics and getting a girlfriend. Life was simple, just how Seungmin liked it.

Most of the time.

Every year, Seungmin was expected to return home for Christmas. His parents weren't particularly Christmas-sy themselves, but in order to keep up appearances as a picture-perfect family, they had no qualms about forcing Seungmin and his brother to sit through all their tedious Christmas activities. Seungmin was thankful for his brother's presence, as he knew things would be a lot worse without someone who felt equally as cheated as Seungmin did about their childhood, but his success in the economics department set him miles higher than Seungmin, and his parents made sure to use that against him at every opportunity. Thus, Seungmin resented everything about the holidays. He resented his parents, he resented not being able to spend more time with people who truly cared about him, and he resented Christmas.

Fortunately, this year, Seungmin had arrived far earlier than expected. Usually, even at Seungmin's chosen travel time of 6am, the roads were swarming with people trying to get home to their families and friends, and the traffic always meant Seungmin had to add an hour or two onto his journey. Seungmin didn't know why the roads were quieter this year, but he wasn't about to complain- the extra two hours he had before he was supposed to arrive at his childhood home were more than welcome, and he jumped at the chance to visit the nearby beach.

Photography had always been a passion of Seungmin's. Even at the most stressful of times, such as exams or application periods, Seungmin always gave himself numerous photography breaks. He liked nothing more than strolling through local parks and villages, capturing everything that took his fancy into a little capsule of time for him to keep. Photography allowed Seungmin to blow off some steam, to forget about his stress and allow him space to think. He had considered taking photography as an elective at university, but shortly decided against that as he didn't want the added pressures of assignments to ruin his favourite passtime. 

The beach was a place Seungmin frequented on his photography jaunts. There was something so intriguing about the water, about the way it formed patterns in the sand and how it was seemingly endless. The beach was what had truly coaxed Seungmin into pursuing photography, and returning to the place, feeling the sand beneath his feet and the harsh chill of the breeze that rolled off of the waves- he felt as if he had returned to the only place in his damn home-town that felt like _home_.

He ran through the motions of focusing his camera and setting everything up, years of practice meaning he barely had to think about it as muscle memory took the reins. He let his thoughts wander as he snapped away at the ocean, pondering over what awaited him when he returned home. He knew that hoping for more than a near-empty house was wishful thinking, but he couldn't help it. Maybe this year, something would change, and he'd get the warm family Christmas he had always dreamed of. 

Although, that brought up another point of concern- Seungmin had told his parents he was considering bringing someone home for Christmas, if only to get them off his back, but now they seemingly expected it. Needless to say, Seungmin had _not_ brought anyone home. Heck, he didn't even have anyone to bring home in the first place. All his friends had their own families to return to, and Seungmin didn't have a boyfriend, nor was he out to his parents. He let out a deep sigh- yeah, that was still something he still hadn't figured out. It wasn't for lack of trying; Seungmin had dropped numerous hints about his preference for boys, but alas, his parents were either too dense to pick them up, or had chosen to ignore them in the hopes that he would forget about it. If he wanted his parents to know he was gay, he was going to have to spell it out for them. 

Seungmin zoomed out, changing to a different angle of the beach to see if he could get any better photos. He fiddled with the focus for a beat before he noticed something in his viewfinder- there was a disturbance in the water, something splashing about violently and ruining Seungmin's shot. Seungmin zoomed in, trying to make out what was in the water and- oh gosh, was that a _person?_

Seungmin jolted into action when he saw that the person in the water was almost definitely in trouble, their flailing limbs making it clear to Seungmin that they had absolutely _no_ experience in swimming. Seungmin dropped his camera before racing towards the waterline, shedding all his outer layers of clothing and shoes as he ran. How did someone who evidently couldn't swim get so far out in the first place? 

The cold water was a nasty shock to Seungmin's system, but he soldiered on- the beach was empty at this time of morning, completely void of people as everyone was likely curled up in their beds, sleeping the morning away while they still had the freedom to. Seungmin knew he was doubtlessly the only other person on the beach, save maybe a dog walker or two, thus he was the only one who could save the boy thrashing away in the middle of the sea.

"What on Earth are you _doing?_ " Seungmin exclaimed as he finally waded within hearing range of the boy. He stopped thrashing upon hearing the voice, but then shortly dipped below the surface, which caused Seungmin to take a dive and swim faster. Finally reaching the boy, Seungmin wrapped an arm around his waist and hoisted him up, trying with immense difficulty to tread water as he did so. He attempted to pull the boy closer, but there was something in the way- the boy was clutching onto something like his life depended on it. 

"Take her! Please!" He shouted between his coughing and spluttering, and Seungmin finally registered what he was holding- a cat?

"What the fuck?" Seungmin shouted as he looked at the kitten, who had clearly seen better days. The boy dipped below the surface again, still holding the kitten above water, which prompted Seungmin out of his shock to resume saving him.

If Seungmin had thought that swimming lessons as a child were hard, they were nothing compared to swimming out of the ocean with one arm clutching another person and a cat sandwiched between the two of them. If he could have pinched himself in that moment, he would have, because he was sure he must have been plunged into some sort of fever dream. Maybe this was the universe's way of letting him know he shouldn't visit his parents this year, that he would surely regret it.

Although, he didn't really need to pinch himself- the cruel bite to the water felt real, and the person his arm was wrapped around felt real (despite his hands beginning to turn numb with cold)- and, finally, his feet touching solid ground felt real. Seungmin pulled the duo out of the water, spluttering along with them while he tried to catch his breath.

"Oh my gosh," he said quietly as he struggled to process what just happened, collapsing to the sand that was far warmer than it had been before he took the impromptu swim. " _Oh my gosh, what the fuck,"_

"Can you say anything else?" The boy wheezed, chest heaving as he lay flat on the ground. 

"Are you okay?" Seungmin asked, deciding to ignore the snark in the other boy's tone. A thank-you would have been nice, but Seungmin's brain was too fried to worry about anything so trivial in that moment.

"I- yes, thank you, I'm-" He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and coughing before trying again, "I am so sorry,"

Seungmin stared at the boy for a beat before he began to giggle, which shortly morphed into bouts of laughter, the hilarity of the situation finally hitting him. Actually, he wasn't sure it was even that funny, but he truly didn't know how else to react. _Surely_ he was dreaming.

"What- is my misery funny to you, or something?" The boy asked, pushing himself up on his elbows to send Seungmin a look of disbelief.

"I'm sorry, I just- _what the fuck?_ "

"Yes, you've said that already," He sniffed, turning his attention to the cat that had buried herself into his side. "Thank you, though, really- I think I almost just died,"

"What were you even doing out there in the first place?" Seungmin asked, his braincells finally beginning to function a little better.

"Well, I- I saw this cat, and she was getting swept out into the sea, and I couldn't just let her _drown_ , but I forgot that I can't swim either so we _both_ got swept out and- yeah... that's how you found me?" the boy explained, wincing as the reality of the situation reached his own ears. He finished with awkward jazz hands, a pitiful attempt at trying to gain some semblance of normal back to the conversation.

"You're ridiculous," Seungmin deadpanned, not really knowing how else to respond. He was really struggling to come up with anything other than ' _What the fuck?_ '.

Fortunately, he was saved from anymore long thinking when he noticed the violent shivers wracking through the boy's body, which then resulted in him noticing exactly how cold he was himself.

"Oh my gosh, you must be freezing- do you want to come and sit in my car, I can put the heating on?"

" _Gosh,_ yes please, I don't think I can feel my fingers," The boy sighed, already getting to his feet, then added as an afterthought, "Oh! I'm Minho, by the way,"

"Seungmin," Seungmin smiled, mirroring Minho's actions.

"Lead the way then, Seungmin,"

The journey back to Seungmin's car took much longer than he had expected, though it was likely because they were far too cold and stiff to move particularly fast. Even the cat Minho had rescued couldn't do much more than shiver in his arms. Seungmin picked up all his discarded clothes as he went, making sure to drape his coat around Minho as the boy had been in the water for longer than he himself had. Belatedly, he noticed that Minho hadn't even bothered to rid himself of any clothes before he launched himself into the ocean, and his sneakers were squelching in a way that Seungmin knew was uncomfortable.

"I'll get you a change of clothes when we get there. I have my suitcase with me."

"I hope you're not expecting me to decline out of politeness because I am _dying_ to get out of these," Minho responded, pinching at his sopping jacket. Seungmin chuckled at his words.

"Of course not, I'm here to visit my parents so it's not like I'll be at a shortage of clothes, I don't mind letting you borrow some," Seungmin explained.

"Are you an angel?" Minho asked, causing Seungmin to laugh again. 

"If that's what you want to call me," He replied, turning back to wink at Minho.

"Maybe I will," Minho smirked, beating Seungmin at his own game. Luckily, Seungmin was saved from formulating a response as they finally reached the camera he had discarded in his panic. He picked it up, turned it over in his hands to check for damage and tried to turn it on. His heart sunk as the screen remained black, clearly suffering too much from the fall and the cold to be of use anymore. He supposed he would be getting that camera he'd had his eyes on much sooner than he thought.

"Shit, did it break? I'm so sorry, really, look, I'll buy you a new one, I'm so-"

"Minho, don't worry about it, I've been meaning to get a new one anyway!" Seungmin exclaimed, trying to get Minho to calm down. 

"But-"

"No, shush, you don't have to apologise for almost dying, you were trying to do a good thing and you don't have to buy me a new camera,"

"I-" Minho huffed, looking up to the sky and closing his eyes. "Okay, fine, but I'm still willing to if you ever change your mind,"

"Which I won't. Now, come on, we're almost at my car,"

° • * . ☆ .° . ° •*

"So, what brings you to the beach at this time anyway? I already told you why I'm here, I'm curious," Seungmin asked, glancing towards Minho in the passenger seat. Minho had his hands pressed against the fan, trying to get as much warmth as possible into his system, and Seungmin's coat still pulled tight around his shoulders despite the new set of clothes he had been gifted. The cat, who Minho had lovingly named Dori, was curled up in his lap, finally happy to sleep now that she was warm and dry. 

"Well, it's kind of embarrassing, really,"

"So embarrassing that you won't tell me?"

Minho narrowed his eyes at Seungmin, pursing his lips as he debated whether to share the information. After a moment, he sighed again, leaning back in his seat.

"Okay, fine- I _was_ here to try and surprise my parents, but since they weren't expecting me they went off on holiday, and now I'm locked out of my house. I decided to take a walk to figure out what to do, and then saw Dori, and, well, you know how the rest of it goes"

Seungmin burst into laughter at the rushed explanation, almost hitting his head on the dashboard as he doubled over. 

"You are absolutely ridiculous. How are you even holding it together right now? If I were you I'd probably be in tears,"

"With difficulty, honestly. I can't even go home because I already booked my return ticket after Christmas and I would rather not waste money on buying a second," Minho lamented, pouting cutely as he stared out of the windshield.

Wait- that meant Minho needed a place to stay. Seungmin furrowed his brows as he weighed his options; if he were to offer a place for Minho to stay, then Minho would owe him a favour, and Seungmin knew exactly what Minho could help him with...

"I know that look, I look like that when I'm scheming. What are you planning?"

"Do you tend to _scheme_ very often?" Seungmin teased, amused by his choice of words.

"Shush, that's not the point- come on, out with it," Minho scolded, squinting at Seungmin.

"Well, I have a place you could stay until you sort things out," Seungmin explained, stalling slightly.

"What's the catch? I mean, I kinda owe you anyway, you saved my life, and if you give me a place to say that means I, like, owe you squared,"

"Wow, you don't miss anything, do you," Seungmin chuckled, hesitating and taking a deep breath before he finished speaking. "Um, well, my parents are expecting me to bring someone home because I said I _might_ and they assumed that meant I would. I kind of don't have a boyfriend, and I also haven't come out to them, so I guess, If you stay with me, could you pretend to be my boyfriend? I don't think they'll believe me otherwise, and I really just want it to be over with. I'm not looking to like, try and impress them or whatever, so you can even cause problems on purpose, if that'll make it more bearable-"

Minho held up a hand.

"Stop right there, you had me at 'cause problems on purpose,'"

"That was the last thing I said,"

"That's where you had me,"

"I- okay. Really? You'll do it? Just like that?" Seungmin gaped, bewilderment seeping into his tone. He had been expecting to do a _lot_ more convincing.

"Well, you're the only offer I've got right now, so I'd be stupid to not take it, and besides, who doesn't like stirring shit up every now and again? It'll make my holiday interesting," Minho grinned, "Also, you're cute, so that's a bonus,"

Seungmin spluttered, clearly not expecting the compliment. Upon seeing his flustered state, Minho practically cackled, causing Dori to shift on his lap.

"Oh yeah- will you be okay with Dori around too? I'm not ready to let her go," Minho sniffed, petting the top of her head gently. "Also, she doesn't have a collar,"

"Yeah, don't worry about it, we can pick up some cat necessities on the way back- which we should do soon, actually, I was due home half an hour ago,"

"Yay!" Minho exclaimed cutely, turning around to pull his seatbelt on. "Do you think we could stop around my house too? I left my suitcase around the back,"

"Of course," Seungmin replied, smiling as they pulled away. Suddenly, going home was a lot less daunting.

🎄🎄🎄

"Wow, you know, I was expecting you to be well off since you look like you're around my age and you already have a nice car, but this is..."

"I know, I know, it's unnecessarily big," Seungmin sighed, staring up at his childhood home. If he was being honest, it could more accurately be described as a mansion. 

Seungmin was sure that when viewing the place you grew up in, you were supposed to feel only positive things, but as he took in the dismal stone walls, the well groomed garden and the Christmas lights draped all over in a meagre attempt to make the far-too-large house seem more inviting, the only thing he felt was dread. No matter how decorated and obnoxious the exterior was, he knew all that awaited him was empty halls, empty rooms, and of course, his work-orientated parents who didn't seem to really give a damn about him. 

' _Merry Christmas!_ ' he thought to himself sarcastically.

"Come on, we should get everything inside," Minho said softly, placing a hand on Seungmin's shoulder to pull him out of his thoughts. Seungmin smiled gratefully, patting Minho's hand before he moved to pull their suitcases out of the trunk. 

"I can take mine," Minho started, but Seungmin waved him off.

"You can take Dori's stuff, I'll take these,"

Minho nodded, and soon enough they were standing at the front door.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Seungmin asked, giving Minho the opportunity to back out before it was too late.

"Honestly, I'm kind of looking forward to it," Minho grinned, nudging Seungmin forwards, "I can't wait to get on some rich peoples' nerves!"

With enthusiastic confirmation from Minho, Seungmin finally pushed open the door. As expected, all that they were met with was an empty room, not a soul in sight. Seungmin sighed again. He expected he would be doing that a lot over the rest of the holidays.

"While we wait for my parents to realise we're here, we should put our stuff in my room. Oh, are you okay with sharing a room? I can set you up in a guest one, if you'd prefer,"

"No, I'm cool with sharing- it'll be more convincing," Minho responded, not looking at Seungmin as his eyes scanned over the entrance hall. It was scarcely decorated, a few vases dotted here and there as well as an unused coat rack. Seungmin was surprised to see a new addition of a branch of mistletoe- his parents tended to stick to a Christmas tree and not much else when it came to interior Christmas decoration, so the mistletoe was incredibly out of place.

"Hey, wanna practice?" Minho smirked as he placed Dori's things down and let her sniff around, moving to stand beneath the branch with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "We've gotta make it look real, after all,"

Seungmin squinted at Minho before setting his own things down and standing before him. "Why not?" He replied slyly. _Two can play at that game._

Before they could do anything, though, they were interrupted by the rhythmic clacking of heels against marble, and the door swung open to reveal Seungmin's mother. She was dressed as primly as Seungmin remembered, a pressed blouse tucked into a pencil skirt, her inside heels (' _inside heels,_ ' Seungmin thought with a scoff) polished to the point where if Seungmin were to stand any closer, he's sure he would see his face in them. 

"Oh, Seungmin! I thought I heard someone coming in- and who's this?" She asked, a sickly sweet smile written on her features, looking awfully foreign on her face. Minho stepped out from where he had been partially hidden by Seungmin, smiling sheepishly at Seungmin's mother.

"Hello ma'am, I'm Minho. It's a pleasure to meet you,"

His mother shook Minho's hand, her artificial smile barely faltering. "Oh, dears, why don't you come through- your father and I were just having tea in the living room," She explained, though it was clear to Seungmin that she wasn't really giving them a choice.

"We'll have to put everything away later, then," Seungmin said, rolling his eyes. Minho nodded, sliding his shoes off to sit neatly besides Seungmin's and once again picking up Dori. Once he saw that Minho was following, Seungmin set off in the direction his mother left in. 

"I can't believe you grew up here, this is like, one of those show houses you can visit when you go to historical sites," Minho said. He had been trying to hide how out of place he truly felt, but the awe that found its way into his voice gave him away. It was worlds away from his little family home, and he couldn't help comparing them.

"Don't remind me, I know- my parents seem to enjoy it, but I think it's excessive. We don't need all this space, you know?"

"Must have been great for hide and seek, though," Minho pointed out.

"Yeah, I suppose I'll give you that one," Seungmin chuckled. Finally, they reached an archway, and Seungmin gestured him in.

The first thing Minho registered was that the room was just as grand as the rest of the house. It had high ceilings and various expensive-looking houseplants, as well as a crackling fire that filled the room with a pleasant warmth. There was a large Christmas tree in the corner, it's boughs weighed down by the sheer amount of Christmas decorations shoved onto it. Minho thought it looked pretty, but there was something so artificial about it.

That seemed to be a running theme in Seungmin's house; everything just seemed _forced_.

"Seungmin!" A voice greeted, far more jovial than Minho had been expecting from someone in Seungmin's family.

"Chan! Hi!" Seungmin exclaimed, a genuine smile on his face for the first time since they had stepped foot in the house. Minho immediately liked the man, considering how Seungmin was clearly happy to see him. "Minho, this is Chan, my brother!" He smiled, and Minho found the sight incredibly sweet. Seungmin then leaned forwards, holding a hand to his mouth to hide his next words. "He's cool, it's only my parents that you have to worry about,"

Chan laughed, having heard what Seungmin said. "Glad you think that highly of me, Seungmin. So, are you going to introduce him too, or...?"

"Of course! Chan, this is Minho, my boyfriend," Seungmin replied, slotting himself against Minho as if they had done it several times before. Minho was slightly shorter than Seungmin, and he had to admit, Seungmin's arm around his shoulders felt nice. Much nicer than he had been expecting. Chan raised an eyebrow, though he didn't hide the joy on his features. 

"Ahh, my little Seungminnie's finally got a boyfriend!" Chan cooed, ruffling Seungmin's hair. Minho giggled at the gesture- Chan was shorter than the both of them, and had to reach up a considerable amount to touch the top of Seungmin's head. Seungmin batted Chan's hand away, scoffing.

"He's your what?" Another voice spoke up, causing the three of them to freeze in a tense silence. Minho was the first to check for the source of the voice, and he shortly noticed Seungmin's mother and who he assumed was Seungmin's father sitting on the sofas. They both looked utterly horrified at the news, and Minho nearly had to physically restrain himself from cackling out loud. 

"Hello again ma'am, sir," Minho said politely, prompting Seungmin to help him out a little. 

"Mother, Father, this is my boyfriend, Minho. I believe I informed you that he would be staying with us for Christmas?" Seungmin said smoothly, though Minho could tell he was nervous by the way Seungmin's arm was practically cutting off his blood circulation. Minho tentatively snaked his arm around Seungmin's waist, hoping it would do enough to calm him down.

"You... Yes, you did say you would be bringing _someone_. I can't say I expected _this,_ though," Seungmin's father said, and it was clear to all of them that he wanted to say far more, but was holding back in front of the guest.

"Don't be rude, father," Chan spoke up, moving to stand slightly in front of Seungmin. Their father blanched, evidently not expecting such an act of defiance. "You've been bugging him to find someone for years, can't you just be happy for him?"

"How about we all just settle down and have some tea?" Seungmin's mother spoke up, trying to ease the tension. Minho could practically feel the anger radiating off of Seungmin's father from where he was stood, but that didn't stop him from nodding and strolling over to the loveseat, plopping himself down obnoxiously and patting the other side as an invitiation for Seungmin. Smirking, Seungmin joined him, returning his arm to Minho's shoulders. Chan raised his eyebrow once again at Minho's boldness, but remained quiet as he re-occupied his own seat.

"So, how did the two of you meet?" he asked, evidently the only person to not be bothered by Seungmin and Minho's relationship.

Minho gave himself a mental pat on the back as he remembered that they had covered this on their way over, agreeing to stick as close to the truth as possible. The two glanced at eachother, seemingly having a silent conversation before they both dissolved into giggles. Worried that they were going to give themselves away, Minho quickly spoke up.

"Sorry, it's a bit of a funny story- we, um, we met on the beach nearby, actually, a few years back-"

"Hold on, why are we only meeting you now, then?" Chan asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Seungmin quickly jumped into the conversation, trying to keep things going smoothly.

"Well, Minho and I have always been a little bit more than _friends_ \- we hit it off right from the start, but I only decided to come out to you this year, hence why I'm only bringing him around now."

At the words 'come out,' Seungmin's dad let out a very poorly disguised scoff, prompting Minho to tighten the arm he had around Seungmin. Despite Seungmin giving him a basic rundown on what his parents were like before they reached the house, Minho still hadn't registered the extent of exactly how bad they were. He had been anticipating some hostility, but this felt more like a business meeting than a casual family sit-down, and although he had barely known the boy for more than a few hours, Minho was feeling awfully protective. 

"Well, I'm proud of you for telling us, Seungmin," Chan smiled warmly. "But, please, continue with your story,"

"Well, like Minho said, we met on the beach- I was doing some photography when I saw Minho splashing like crazy in the water and realised he was _drowning_ -"

"Hey!" Minho exclaimed, gently slapping Seungmin's chest, "You can't lead like that, you're making me look bad! I swam out to try and save a cat that was getting swept by the tide, and-"

"Yeah, but you can't _swim_ and you were _drowning_ , which is why I had to save you _and_ the cat-"

"Woah, calm down, you two fight like an old married couple. Is that the cat you saved?" Chan interrupted, pointing at Dori who was again snuggled into Minho's lap, blissfully oblivious to the tense atmosphere around her. Minho quickly decided that she looked far too young to have been the cat they rescued years ago, and piped up again.

"No, we found that cat's owner and had to give her up, but we missed her so much that we adopted Dori here earlier in the year," Minho smiled, petting her head softly. 

"Wow, Seungmin, you've been with Minho for so long that you've adopted a cat together and I'm only just finding out about him? I'm hurt," Chan fake-sniffled, though laughed as Seungmin sent him a pout.

"I already said I wasn't ready for you to know I'm gay-"

"For _fucks_ sake," Seungmin's father exclaimed, slamming his hands on the coffee table before he stood up and stalked out of the room. Minho was honestly surprised he had managed to sit with them for as long as he did before reacting. Seungmin's mother quickly followed suit, muttering something about needing a drink. She paused in the doorway, turning to face the couple.

"I think it's best that you get yourselves set up in your rooms, leave us be for a while," She said, this time not bothering to hide the venom in her words behind her sickly sweet smile.

"No worries, ma'am, we'll only be using one room!" Minho smiled, standing up and holding out a hand to Seungmin. Seungmin mirrored Minho's smile as he clasped onto Minho's hand, shooting his mother a smile so fake it could rival her own as they left, leaving her furious in their wake. 

° • * . ☆ .° . ° •*

"I am so glad you gave me permission to cause problems on purpose because I seem to be causing them without even _trying,_ " Minho huffed as he threw himself onto the chair in Seungmin's room, glad to have escaped Seungmin's parents. 

"It's not too much, is it? If you want to leave I'll understand, I know they can be-"

"Are you kidding?" Minho interrupted, lifting his head to look at Seungmin with wide eyes. "That was hilarious! I'm having the time of my life, please don't kick me out,"

Seungmin laughed, shaking his head at Minho. "I'm glad someone's having a good Christmas, then,"

"Aw, Seungmin," Minho pouted, pushing at the desk to make his chair spin around while he talked. "You're gonna have a great Christmas, too, because you've got _me_ this year."

"Very modest of you," Seungmin teased, lying back on his bed and letting out the biggest sigh Minho had ever heard. Dramatic, much.

"But, really, I want you to have a good Christmas too- and I promise I won't leave, either. I know we only met a few hours ago, but I'm kind of glad you brought me along, because otherwise you would have to deal with them alone, and I wouldn't wish that upon my worst enemy! No offence," He finished, hoping Seungmin wouldn't be annoyed at Minho insulting his parents.

"None taken, I get it." Seungmin said, then added as an afterthought, "I mean, I do have Chan-"

"Yeah, and you told me they always compare you to him. I can't say I understand how that feels, but I know it's no way to be treated by your parents. If I'm here, then you've _really_ got someone in your corner, you know?"

Seungmin smiled gratefully at Minho, and from the position he was in he looked a little bit like a puppy. Now, don't get him wrong, Minho was a cat person through and through, but Seungmin was just so cute he thought that he could make an exception.

"Thanks, Minho. For what it's worth, I know we only met a few hours ago, but I'm _really_ glad I brought you here too,"

° • * . ☆ .° . ° •*

It wasn't until a few hours had passed did Seungmin dare venture out of his room again. He would have liked to have waited a little longer, but neither he nor Minho had eaten lunch, and it was well passed dinner time. Seungmin mentally thanked his past self who had thought to pack some pre-prepared meals- his parents were hard to be around at the best of times, and he often skipped family dinners, so he had learned pretty quickly that he needed to bring his own food. He had never broken into his stash on the first night, though, this had to be a record.

Minho had tried to go with Seungmin, but Seungmin had told him that his parents were going to get him alone eventually, and he'd rather get that conversation out of the way. Minho had eventually let him go, although rather reluctantly.

Despite Seungmin's eagerness to get the inevitable conversation with his parents over and done with, it didn't stop him from taking the long route to the kitchen. He knew that's exactly where his parents would be, due to the kitchen also serving as home to the numerous wine bottles they supposedly broke out on 'special occasions'. Both Seungmin and Chan knew better, though- the wine was broken out whenever their parents felt 'stressed', which just happened to be most nights. Their parents were melodramatic like that.

As predicted, the first thing that was brought to Seungmin's attention upon entering was an emptied wine bottle on the counter, right next to another emptied wine bottle, which was next to a half emptied wine bottle. Seungmin was almost impressed that his parents were still standing.

"You are _not_ a homosexual, Seungmin," His father spat upon noticing his presence. Seungmin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. They couldn't even wait for him to begin preparing his food?

"I'm gay, father, whether you like it or not," Seungmin deadpanned as he walked over to the hob.

"Don't say that word, Seungmin! It's far too vulgar," 

Seungmin let out a humourless laugh in disbelief. "Vulgar? It's just a word, father. I'm gay, I like men, in your words, I'm a _homosexual_ \- it doesn't matter how I word it, it means the same thing, and that's not changing!"

His mother took a large swig of wine before burying her face in her hands. "Is this a cry for help, Seungmin? Do you need a therapist?"

"Oh my God, Mum! No! I am perfectly fine, there is absolutely nothing wrong with me being gay! Why can't you just let me be _happy_ , for once in your miserable lives!" Seungmin exclaimed, slamming his hands on the counter in a fashion very similar to his father from earlier. A thick silence settled on them as his parents processed Seungmin's outburst, not used to this behaviour- Seungmin had always been the more rational member of their family, never one to get angry or shout; he preferred to deal with their antics calmly, without letting them know that they were getting on his nerves. 

Instead of waiting for a response, Seungmin turned back to his food, emptying two packets of noodles into the boiling water. 

"This must be your _friend's_ fault, he's obviously confused, Seungmin, and it's clearly affecting you, too,"

Seungmin closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. It wasn't particularly effective- he could still feel rage bubbling ominously in the pit of his stomach, and he maintained a white-knuckled grip on the counter.

"Listen," He began darkly, his voice a few pitches lower than any of them were used to. "You can say whatever you want to me, it's not going to change anything, but if I hear you say _anything_ about Minho then I _will_ do something that will make you regret it,"

His father scoffed. "Like what, Seungmin? I don't take kindly to threats,"

"And I don't take kindly to you talking shit about my boyfriend! How about I come out to our extended family, or I could reveal it to _all_ your friends- your reputation is in _my_ hands right now, so I would tread very carefully, if I were you," 

Seungmin knew he had struck a nerve when all that followed was silence. He finished up their noodles without another word, not bothering to take even more time putting them into seperate bowls- he was sure Minho would understand. He plucked two pairs of chopsticks out of the drawer, and was completely ready to get out of there- but, of course, his father had to have the last word.

"You'd best be careful, boy," He said, and Seungmin paused in the doorway. "You can't live without us- we're paying for your apartment, your education- don't make us take that away."

Seungmin smirked. If that was the best they could do, then he had already won.

"People deal with a lot worse than being cut off from their parents on a regular basis, father, I'm sure I can manage without you. Besides, if it comes down to it, I can always move in with my _boyfriend_ ," He finished triumphantly, heading back to his room with his head held high.

° • * . ☆ .° . ° •*

"If that was you I heard yelling, then that was kinda hot," Minho said as Seungmin set the noodles down on his desk, dragging a second chair closer to sit besides him. Seungmin would have laughed if he weren't still so riled up from what had transpired in the kitchen.

"They are honestly _insufferable_ ," Seungmin said as he began tucking into the noodles. Minho shortly followed suit, sighing in content at finally eating after so long.

"You handled it well, from what I heard," He said, a small attempt at cheering Seungmin up.

"As well as I could, I suppose. They couldn't do anything other than threaten my apartment and education fees, but I have Chan to help me and I've actually been setting aside money for years, just in case- we butt heads so often, it's a wonder that this is only the first time they've threatened to cut me off," 

"What else have you done to piss them off, then?" Minho questioned, tilting his head slightly.

"Well, the first straw was university- I'm in the music program, but they wanted me to study economics. The next was probably my lack of a girlfriend- they kept trying to force me on blind dates, it was horrible. And then, of course, today." Seungmin explained, shuddering as he recalled all the poor girls that he had been forced to politely decline; it wasn't their fault he was gay. 

"Wait, that's really cool- I'm in the dance department!" Minho exclaimed, smiling brightly.

"No way- in Seoul?" Seungmin replied, eyes wide- there weren't many universities that offered performing arts courses anywhere else, which meant Minho and Seungmin had likely been living relatively close to eachother all along.

"Yup, Seoul National University," Minho couldn't hide the excitement in his voice, practically buzzing in his chair.

"Me too! Oh my gosh, this is so weird," Seungmin laughed, "We grew up in the same town, ended up at the same uni, and we've only just met- the universe has been holding out on us,"

"Maybe it was just waiting for the right time," Minho winked, and Seungmin dissolved into laughter again. "I'm surprised we didn't see eachother around in like, middle school or something. I don't recognise you," Minho added as an afterthought. Seungmin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Yeah... private school kid, here," He winced. Minho let out an _ahh_ of understanding.

"Of course, I shouldn't have expected anything less," He teased. He went to grab another mouthful of noodles, but shortly realised that the pot was empty.

"Oh- I can brave the kitchen again, if you're still hungry?" Seungmin offered, but Minho only shook his head.

"Absolutely not, I'm not making you go back there," Minho said. He was silent for a beat before speaking up again. "How about we go out for breakfast tomorrow, though? I'm sure we could both do with getting out of here, and we could get to know eachother a little better?" 

"I'd really like that," Seungmin smiled, nodding at Minho. Already, his holiday was turning out far better than the others.

🎄🎄🎄

The next few days were a blur, namely because they didn't really do... Well, anything. Minho and Seungmin quickly discovered that they got on like a house on fire, and despite the large amount of time they spent bickering, they both knew it was good-natured and were more than happy to spend time around eachother, especially when the only other option was Seungmin's parents. They rarely left Seungmin's room, unless it was to head out for food or toilet breaks, and were both proud to admit that they had binge watched an _unhealthy_ amount of the shittiest Christmas movies they could find. They had even invented a game to make things more interesting, in which they attempted to guess the plot, though Seungmin was pretty sure that Minho kept cheating because _nobody_ should hold that amount of knowledge on poorly directed Christmas films. Sometimes, Chan would join them, but he was utterly terrible at the game and would more often than not get laughed out of the room as the credits rolled from making awful guess after awful guess. 

At first, they had been a little cautious about staying on the same bed- they were practically strangers, after all, but once they had broken the ice on the first night the two of them had absolutely no qualms about rolling around in bed all day long, with Seungmin's laptop (and Dori, of course) sandwiched between them. Seungmin was quickly realising that, if spent with the right people, the Christmas holidays really _could_ be fun, and Minho was increasingly glad that he had taken a swim that day- even if it _had_ almost resulted in his untimely demise.

They had fallen into a little routine, and Seungmin liked it; he enjoyed Minho's presence, he enjoyed the safety and security of his room, and he enjoyed the lack of responsibility- which is why he was so disappointed when he realised the date.

The 23rd of December, a whole week after he and Minho met. Seungmin would have liked to spend yet another day lounging around, but alas, the 23rd was something there was no getting out of. 

Picture day.

Or, as Seungmin liked to describe it, the bane of his existence.

Every year without fail, Seungmin's mother forced the family of four out of the house and into the nearby town, where they would all pile into the small photography store in order to take their annual Christmas family picture. Another fake memory to add to the picture-perfect mantle.

At least it wasn't all that bad- in recent years, Seungmin had been grateful for the excuse to spend a bit of time in the town rather than being smothered by his parents, but the excursion was far less fun when he was aware that it ended in forced smiles and fake laughter. Seungmin _hated_ that they had to pretend to be a happy family, it was just a cruel reminder of what didn't really belong to him- and all of it, for what? For Seungmin's mother to pretend everything was fine and dandy, so she could maintain her reputation? In Seungmin's honest opinion, it was utter bullshit.

"What's wrong?" Minho muttered upon hearing Seungmin's groan. He was still half asleep, his head buried in Seungmin's neck. That was another thing they had been doing- Seungmin had never been one to cuddle, but it hadn't taken him long to realise that Minho certainly _was_. Seungmin knew it was rather cliché to wake up entangled in eachothers arms, though he was also aware that the clichés usually ended in someone scrambling away in a desperate attempt to save face. Minho, never one to shy away, had instead cracked open an eye, acknowledged the position he and Seungmin were in, and promptly informed him that he was not moving as Seungmin was warm and he was cosy. Seungmin himself had no objections, so it shortly became their default way to sleep. It also didn't hurt that the cuddling made their fake relationship all the more convincing- Seungmin tried not to think about how he wasn't really having to _fake_ anything.

"It's the 23rd, which means my mother is going to drag us to town today," Seungmin replied belatedly, realising he had left Minho's question unanswered. Minho groaned, seemingly as disappointed as Seungmin was.

"I'm too cosy," He complained petulantly.

"Seungmin! Get up, you know what today- Oh my gosh!"

Seungmin lifted his head and blinked wearily at his mother, his eyes not quite focusing yet. She had a hand over her eyes, and the other stretched out in front of her as if she were trying to defend herself. 

"We're just sleeping, mother, there's no need to act so repulsed," Seungmin snarked. His mother replaced her hands to her sides, smoothing out her blouse and coughing slightly. Seungmin snickered slightly at her red face.

"Yes, well, you should get ready. We're leaving, soon," She huffed.

"Of course, Mrs Kim," Minho waved her off, not bothering to look at her. 

"Oh- is he coming too?" She asked Seungmin, her voice coming out scathing. 

" _He_ has a name, and yes, Minho is coming." Seungmin said with an air of finality. His mother didn't spare another word as she stormed out of his room, her heels clacking with more force than usual. 

"I don't know how you've dealt with her for all these years," Minho said sleepily, pulling himself into an upright position. Seungmin had to physically restrain himself from cooing- Minho liked to sleep in clothes that were at _least_ three sizes too big, and it really wasn't doing Seungmin's heart any favours. He just looked so small and cute in the mornings, Seungmin always found himself with an urge to bundle Minho up and hug him all day long. 

Yeah- Seungmin found himself faking their relationship less by the day. 

"She's impossible at the best of times," Seungmin sighed, combing his hand through Minho's unruly bed-hair. Minho shut his eyes again at the gesture. "We should definitely get ready, though, she'll probably try to physically drag me out of bed if we don't get a move on,"

° • * . ☆ .° . ° •*

There was something different about the town this year. Seungmin thought that it was maybe the new shops that lined the pavement, although that changed every year and Seungmin had never felt strongly about it before. The town just seemed a little more vibrant; the Christmas lights shone brighter, the people seemed happier- Seungmin was practically _aching_ to dig out his camera.

Perhaps visiting the town with new company was the reason Seungmin was seeing it in a whole new light. 

Either way, the trip hadn't felt quite so much like the end of the world as it had in previous years. In the car ride over, Seungmin's hand had found a home in Minho's as his mother yapped away in the passenger seat, directing them on exactly how their day was supposed to pan out. Minho was getting good at reading Seungmin- it wasn't too difficult, all he really had to know was that Seungmin was perpetually uncomfortable if placed in the same setting as his parents, but Seungmin appreciated his little gestures to keep him grounded nontheless. Chan was doing his best to act as a peacekeeper, but even he was eager to escape their overbearing nagging along with Minho and Seungmin once they had found a parking spot.

Fortunately, they had hours to kill- Seungmin wasn't sure why his mother had ushered them into town so early when their slot at the photography shop was at 4pm, but he had learned not to question her. He was grateful for the chance to stretch his legs and get the rest of his Christmas shopping done, and the fresh air was making his head feel clearer than it had been since he first arrived. 

"How about we find a cafe to have brunch while we decide where we want to go?" Chan offered, pointing in the direction of their favourite spot. Growing up, the cafe had been a place Seungmin and Chan visited frequently after school, if only to spend some more time out of their house. Now they were older, they tried to make a habit of going at least once over the holidays for old times sake. 

"I've never actually been here before," Minho said absentmindedly as Chan held open the door for them, ushering them inside quickly so that he could get out of the cold. 

"You've been missing out," Seungmin informed him. "The bagels are to die for, they put so much filling in,"

"Any recommendations?"

"Why don't I surprise you? If you don't like it then we can trade orders," Seungmin suggested. Minho squinted at him for a beat before agreeing.

"I'll trust you this time, Kim Seungmin, but you better get me something good,"

Seungmin grinned so wide, Minho was sure his heart would fly out of his chest and start singing. 

"Are you getting your usual, Chan? It's on me," He then asked, turning towards his brother. Minho sat opposite Chan as he nodded, and Seungmin moved to join the queue. 

"So, how long have you and my brother been together?" 

Minho swallowed, hard. Something in Chan's tone told him that this conversation was going somewhere Minho would rather avoid.

"It's been about a year and a half, now?" Minho replied, mentally cursing himself for how unsure he sounded.

"Mhmm, so, why haven't I met you yet? Seungmin and I go to the same uni so we see eachother often, but not _once_ have I seen you with him," Chan said, his forehead wrinkling as he raised an eyebrow.

"It's like Seungmin said, he wasn't ready to come out so we've been keeping it on the low,"

Chan stared at him with narrowed eyes, but Minho just held his gaze. For a split second he was worried their cover was blown, but Chan eventually sighed, seemingly deflating. 

"Fine, I'll believe you. So, what do you like about my brother?"

Ah, that's the question Minho had been dreading. Despite the fact that his and Seungmin's friendship seemed to be sailing smoothly, it didn't quite change their status as near strangers. Minho had barely had a week to get to know Seungmin, so he knew he still had a hell of a lot to learn, and this question was bound to trip him up.

"Well, Seungmin is... He's just, Seungmin,"

Minho released a breath. ' _Wow, this is already going brilliantly,'_ he thought sarcastically. Chan squinted at him.

"You know, like- I honestly don't think I've ever clicked with someone quite as fast as I did with him. He quite literally saved my life, for starters, he's unbelievably selfless, and like, we're kind of similar in ways, but he's like all my good points and none of the bad. He's snarky but he's not an asshole, and he's honestly _inspiring_. I hope you don't mind me saying, but after meeting your parents this week it's actually a miracle that he turned out as amazing as he did-" He paused while Chan laughed- "And have you noticed he kind of looks like a puppy? His eyes are so big and cute, and my heart does that _thing_ whenever he does, like, _anything_ ,"

Well, that was far easier than Minho had been expecting. He glanced up from where he had been fiddling with a groove on the table, only to find Chan looking at him with a fond smile.

"I have to admit, I had my doubts at first, but it sounds like you really do like him," He told Minho. _Oh boy_.

"Yeah, I really do," Minho breathed. It dawned on him that he truly meant everything he said- sure, he had only known Seungmin for a week, but in that moment Minho knew he wanted to change that. He wanted to get to know Seungmin properly, and he didn't want what they had to end with the holidays.

"One salt beef bagel and peppermint mocha latte for Minho," Seungmin interrupted, setting the food down in front of Minho before dishing out the rest of the tray's contents between him and Chan.

"What have you got?" Minho asked as he picked up his bagel. It honestly smelt _amazing_ \- Minho wasn't sure how Seungmin guessed he would like it, but either way, Seungmin had been right.

"Salmon and cream cheese bagel, then the same drink," He answered. Minho narrowed his eyes at him.

"What would you have done if I didn't like the drink?"

Seungmin blinked at him.

"But you like mint choco ice cream, there's no way you don't like these,"

Minho's jaw dropped- how did Seungmin even _know_ that? He could vaguely recall mentioning in passing, but he hadn't thought it was enough for Seungmin to retain the information.

"You two are so cute," Chan sniffed from the other side of the table. "I'm third wheeling so badly right now and I don't even care,"

Seungmin laughed, throwing a napkin at him. "Shut up,"

"But, really, I am proud of you, Seungmin- I can't believe you were brave enough to come out to them before me,"

Minho's eyes widened as he glanced between Seungmin and Chan. Seungmin seemed to be as surprised as Minho himself was, if his spluttering was anything to go by.

"Wha- you're? But- What about the girlfriend you told them about?"

Chan laughed, throwing his head back. "Same as you, actually- I told them I had found _someone_ , and they assumed I meant a girlfriend," 

"You have a boyfriend?" Seungmin squawked, promting half the cafe to send glares their way. Chan quickly shushed him, flapping his arms in Seungmin's direction as if it would get him to be quiet.

"Not so loud! And yes, I do-"

"Why haven't I met him?"

Chan rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, his ears growing redder by the second.

"Actually, you have- you know my roommate, Felix?"

Seungmin's jaw dropped, and he leant back in his seat.

"Roommate... I should have known, you don't even need a roommate," Seungmin muttered, wondering how he could have missed something so big. 

"Hold on, is that the Felix with the freckles? It's not exactly a popular name around here," Minho piped up, his eyes brightening in recognition.

"Yes! Wait, are you the Minho in his dance class? He always talks about you and... Hyunjin, was it?"

"Yes! We're in the showcase together when we get back! Oh my gosh, that's so weird," 

"Wow, small world," Chan sighed, taking another sip of his drink.

Minho glanced over at Seungmin, expecting him to be smiling, only to be greeted by a large frown. Seungmin was practically glaring at the table, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

"Hey, what did the table ever do to you?" Minho whispered, nudging Seungmin with his elbow. Seungmin looked up at him before closing his eyes.

"I feel really bad,"

Minho furrowed his brows, the question 'Why?' on the tip of his tongue before it occurred to him- Chan had felt confident enough to come out to them because of their relationship, when their relationship wasn't even _real_. "Oh," He responded, oh so intelligently.

"Minnie? What's up?" Chan asked, brow creasing in concern. Seungmin glanced at Minho, and he knew what was coming next.

"Chan- me and Minho, we aren't actually dating."

"You- what?" Chan gasped, his eyes darting between the two as if he were watching a tennis match. Minho sent him an awkward smile.

"Yeah, I actually asked him to be my fake boyfriend to help me come out," Seungmin explained quietly, fiddling with a loose thread on his sleeve. His eyes quickly widened in realisation of something, and he shot up to defend himself. "I am gay, though! That part wasn't a lie at all, but I figured, if you're coming clean then I should too,"

Chan pursed his lips before sighing, slumping in his seat slightly. "I suppose we're even, then, we both sort of lied. You two are a little too good at faking it, though, just so you know," He finished, looking pointedly at Minho. Seungmin and Minho shared an awkward look, because they both knew that to be true. "I knew I was right about the story of how you met, it just seemed so... _out there_ ," He added as an afterthought.

"What? No, that was almost completely true, it just happened last week, not years ago," Seungmin told Chan quickly. 

"What the fuck?" Chan exclaimed, giving them a look that spoke volumes of ' _You two are absolutely ridiculous_ '.

"That's what Seungmin said, too," Minho mumbled.

"Hold on, so you met _last week,_ and you're already acting like you've been married for several years?" Chan continued, ignoring Minho.

"Well, I did say I had never clicked with anyone as fast as I did with him," Minho remarked, as if that could explain everything.

"You two are _crazy_ ," Chan announced, and Minho was pretty sure he was just talking to himself out of shock.

"You have no idea how many times I've thought that in the past week," Seungmin added, staring vacantly into a corner of the cafe.

A moment of silence fell over the table as they all processed the information. 

"Right!" Minho declared suddenly, clapping his hands together once he felt the silence had lasted too long. "If you're all done, we should probably get to shopping,"

The brothers nodded, and Minho breathed a sigh of relief as they got up to help tidy their empty bagel wrappers away- he had been expecting the truth coming out to go a lot worse. He hoped that this would be the only time, too; he didn't want to think about what Seungmin's parents would do should they find out.

For now, though, he would be thankful for the time to himself- he had a lot to think about.

° • * . ☆ .° . ° •*

Despite the inexorable fate he knew was awaiting him behind the doors of the photography shop, Seungmin couldn't help but look forward to the visit. He wasn't excited about the picture itself, gosh no, but as an avid lover of photography, Seungmin would never turn down a chance to play around with some of the cameras. He was hoping that he could even find the camera he had been after- it wasn't exactly in high demand, but Seungmin had been struggling to find it in stores nontheless.

"Huh. It's smaller than I expected," Minho said as they arrived at the tiny shop tucked between a bakery and an off license store. Seungmin noticed Minho eyeing the sweet treats in the bakery window with envy, and made a mental note to try and sneakily purchase some before they headed home.

"Yeah, it's a pain to cram all of us into the photo area sometimes." Seungmin replied.

The smell that greeted them upon entry was familiar to Seungmin, almost comforting, in a sense- he had visited the shop more times than he could count when he was younger to develop his pictures, and coming back always reminded him of his love for photography. He thought he might show Minho his photo album once they get home- it was somewhat of a diary to Seungmin, all his happy memories captured within the pages, but he knew he wanted to share it all with Minho.

"Hey, Seungmin, isn't this the same make of the camera you broke?"

Seungmin spun on his heel, wandering over to where Minho was browsing.

"Oh! Yes, it is, I've been wanting another camera from this company, but I don't know if they'll have it," Seungmin informed him, picking up the camera and turning it in his hands out of habit. Minho nodded in understanding, facing back to the display cases in order to help Seungmin search.

It wasn't long before he came across another with the same logo, only this one was slightly smaller and baby blue in colour. 

"Is this it?" He questioned, holding up the camera for Seungmin. Upon taking a closer look, Seungmin's eyes lit up and he nodded excitedly.

"Yes! Oh, wow, I didn't know they did it in my favourite colour too, I was going to settle for silver, but-"

"No shopping for yourself so close to Christmas, Seungmin!" His mother chided, interrupting their conversation to scowl at them. "And put that stupid thing down, you have far too many already and they're distracting you from your education. Now, chop chop! We haven't got all day," 

Seungmin grumbled to himself as he replaced the camera to it's display case, rolling his eyes behind his mother's back as she focused her wrath on Chan instead. 

"Come on, if we keep her waiting she'll get even worse," Seungmin muttered bitterly.

"You go without me, I _really_ need to pee," Minho announced loudly. Seungmin's mother shot him a withering glare, to which Minho sent a lazy grin in return. 

"Okay, we'll be at the back," Seungmin replied, already heading in the direction his mother was waving in.

Once Seungmin had disappeared behind the wall, Minho smiled to himself, once again plucking the camera from its case. Chan sent him a knowing look and a nod of approval before he followed after his brother.

Fortunately, the camera wasn't pricey enough to burn a hole in Minho's pocket- or at least, not a big one. It also wasn't like Minho was going to spend the money on anything else, so he made the purchase without hesitation and stuffed the bag unceremoniously into the other, _bigger_ bag he had bought from the nearby department store. 

"Good job, Minho," He whispered proudly, nodding to himself. He didn't notice the strange look the cashier sent his way.

Minho hurriedly made his way to the back, hoping that he hadn't missed too much. Fortunately, Seungmin and Chan were still off to the side, awaiting instruction.

_Perfect._

"I think it's time to cause problems on purpose," Minho whispered as he approached them from behind, which in turn caused both Seungmin and Chan to jump so hard Minho feared he had given them both heart attacks. 

"Minho, oh my gosh," Seungmin breathed as Minho cackled, holding a hand to his chest. 

"Cause problems on purpose?" Chan questioned, looking rightfully concerned. 

"It was a part of the deal- I basically said Minho could cause trouble if he wanted, because I honestly don't care," Seungmin explained, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Oh? So, what are you planning?" Chan asked. Minho puffed his chest out proudly.

"I am going to get into that photo," He stated boldly. Chan sucked in a sharp breath as Seungmin buried his face in his palm.

"Oh my gosh, I'm going to die," He lamented. Minho cackled again.

"Your parents have it coming, honestly. They're not going to accept you unless you force them to, you know,"

"That or they'll kick me out, I guess," Seungmin sighed.

"And you're okay with that?" Minho questioned, lowering his voice slightly- he wouldn't want to get Seungmin cut off if it would actually cause him trouble.

"To be honest, it's preferable. There isn't a home for me here; I would prefer to be completely cut off if it means I don't have to ignore the elephant in the room every Christmas- the elephant being how gay I am,"

"Yeah, I got that," Minho chuckled. "Guess I will have to try _extra_ hard to wind them up, then,"

"I am currently fearing for my life," Chan informed Minho bluntly, moving a few steps away from him in a very unsubtle fashion. Minho simply beamed in response.

"Chan! Seungmin! You should know where to stand," Their mother instructed sharply, folding her hands in her lap and smiling at the camera. The brothers quickly made their way onto the set, standing stoically behind their parents. Minho smirked as he stood besides Seungmin, wrapping an arm around his waist.

The camera man snapped a few photos, briefly explaining that he had to take lots in case anyone blinked. Upon informing them he was done, Seungmin's mother gestured him over to show her the pictures.

Minho waited with bated breath as she scanned them over, checking for even the slightest flaw that would ruin her perfect Christmas. He didn't have to wait long- he could barely contain his laughter as he watched the realisation dawn on her features, causing her jaw to drop in a rather unattractive manner. She spun in her chair, glaring Minho down, and Minho thought she could have been intimidating had it not been for the blood rushing to her face.

"What do you think you're doing?" She demanded, her voice raising several pitches in fury.

Minho stared at her, blinking long and hard before answering.

"Posing for the family photo, Mrs Kim," He replied, doing his very best to school his expression.

"What makes you think you can join _my_ family photo?"

"Well, you see Mrs Kim, I am dating your son, and when two people love eachother very much-"

"Do you take me for an _idiot_?" She screeched, and Minho genuinely wouldn't have been surprised if steam started pouring out of her ears right then and there.

"Not at all, Mrs Kim!" Minho gasped, holding a hand to his chest with an affronted expression. "Which is why I am quite surprised that you are questioning me on the concept of family, I assumed you already _knew_ -" 

"How dare you!" Seungmin's father interrupted, rising from his chair. Minho at least had the sense to shuffle back a little.

"Seungmin! This ridiculous act of rebellion you're pulling is destroying this family and I _will not have it_!" His mother fumed, apparently deciding that if Minho couldn't take her seriously then Seungmin would.

"Act of rebellion?" Seungmin scoffed, throwing his arm around Minho and tucking him into his side. "I have already made it very clear that this is _not changing,_ mother, it is not our fault that you're being irrational!"

"Irrational? Is it so irrational to want a family photo with just my _family_?" 

"Yes, because you and I _both_ know that if I had brought a girlfriend you would have made her front and centre of the whole thing!" Seungmin accused before taking a deep breath. Minho patted Seungmin's waist, hoping the action would be soothing enough to placate his nerves. "Look, you can either have the photo with Minho in it, or take another without either of us. What would you rather, mother? Would you prefer to let your _friends_ know you have a gay son, or an estranged son? Because, let's face it, we both know this photo is just for you to win a popularity vote,"

The silence that followed Seungmin's words was... Well, let's just say Minho wouldn't be forgetting it anytime soon. It felt as if the entire world held it's breath, waiting for a pin to drop before everything whirled into action again. Minho wondered who would snap first- would Seungmin's father finally lash out in the way he so obviously wanted to, would Seungmin's mother stand her ground? Heck, he was even half-expecting Seungmin to storm out of the store before anyone else made a move.

In the end, it was none of those things. ' _You will be missed, beloved camera-man_ ' Minho thought as the poor worker cleared his throat, unintentionally gaining the attention of everyone on the set. If looks could kill, then the man would already be six foot under by now, the force of Mr and Mrs Kim's joint glare enough to send an entire army running.

"Sorry, ma'am, but your slot is over, and we've got people waiting," He said, seemingly oblivious to the scowls he was currently recieving. The family he gestured to, who had previously been completely engrossed in the shouting match, swiftly bowed their heads, acting as if they had been talking amongst themselves all along.

Seungmin's mother stood up, brushed the invisible dust off of her blazer, and forced a smile back onto her face. "Everyone, back to the car. Immediately," She instructed. Her voice was once again sickly sweet, though it wasn't hard to guess her true intentions were anything but.

"I think we'll walk home-" Seungmin began, only to be cut off.

"I said, everyone back to the car, Seungmin. Are you or are you not a part of everyone?" She questioned through gritted teeth. Seungmin chose to stay quiet.

They waited patiently as Seungmin's mother purchased the photos, not daring to even whisper amongst themselves for fear that she would blow up on them and they wouldn't get away so easily. Even if Minho had wanted to talk in that moment, any attempt would have been thwarted by Seungmin's father who had yet to stop glowering at him. 

Minho didn't know what to make of the silence on the way back. It was thick, and heavy, and he had been expecting anything but- quite frankly, he would have even been less surprised if one of Seungmin's parents had raised a hand against him. The silence was ominous, and it made all of them nervous. 

He felt relief bubble in his chest as he heard the telltale crunching of gravel beneath the tyres, signifying that they had finally arrived back at the house. Seungmin's mother was the first to get out of the car and make a beeline for the front door, shortly followed by his father.

"What the fuck?" Minho breathed, sending a look towards both Seungmin and Chan, neither of which had bothered to unbuckle their seatbelts yet.

"Reputation is like, their big red button," Chan explained, staring somewhere into the distance. "If you push it, everything explodes- and this is the second time within a week, Seungmin," 

"I know! I know," Seungmin groaned, dropping his head to Minho's shoulder. "They're gonna have it out for me now- if they're silent it's usually to let you know the worst hasn't come yet,"

"Shit- I'm sorry," Minho murmured, running his free hand through Seungmin's hair. "I was expecting them to be angry and yell, not- whatever that was,"

"Don't be sorry, that was actually hilarious," Chan chimed in again, sending Minho a grin. "I've never seen someone rile her up that badly before,"

Seungmin laughed as he recalled the conversation. "Gosh, I would actually pay money to see that again- she was _mortified_ ,"

"I am somewhat of a genius, I know," Minho sighed playfully, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's hard, being this cool,"

"Shut up," Seungmin snickered, shoving Minho away. Minho was about to protest before he was interrupted by a notification on Seungmin's phone. Seungmin glanced at the screen before gasping, looking to Minho with wide eyes.

"They just cut my allowance," He informed him, tilting the screen so Chan could see too.

"Holy shit, this must be some kind of warning- they're actually gonna cut you off if you step out of line again," He said, laughing in disbelief.

"Wow, this actually feels surprisingly nice. I'm almost free," Seungmin remarked, raising his eyebrows in excitement.

"You're really not upset? Like, at all?" Minho asked.

"Like I said, there's no home for me here," Seungmin shrugged, swiping the notification on his phone away. "So, do you think it's safe for us to sneak upstairs yet, or..?"

🎄🎄🎄

Christmas day is supposed to be a time of joy. It's a chance to see your family, a wonderful opportunity for everyone to come together and _give back,_ whether it be with presents or a simple Christmas dinner. It's a time of love, of smiles and friendship, a time of happiness for everyone.

The key word in that paragraph is ' _supposed_ '. It was _supposed_ to be a time of joy for everyone. However, for numerous people across the world, it was anything but. 

Included in said _numerous people_ , was Seungmin.

On Christmas morning, Seungmin didn't wake up with any excitement or joy- he didn't feel like his chest was about to explode, or like he could burst into song at any second. In fact, on Christmas morning, Seungmin woke up feeling only _one_ thing- hunger. 

"Well, good morning to you too," Minho greeted in response to Seungmin's growling stomach.

"I'm hungry," Seungmin declared, petulantly flipping onto his back.

"I gathered that,"

A silence fell upon them, far more comfortable than the quiet they had sat through two days ago. Seungmin tilted his head slightly to look at Minho, who had let his eyes fall closed again.

Seungmin thought that he was beautiful. At first, he hadn't really _looked_ at Minho, far too caught up in the whole saving-his-life-then-becoming-fake-boyfriends situation to pay close attention to matters as trivial as, say, the mole on his nose. Now, however, Seungmin found he didn't want to focus his attention on anything else. 

He noticed as Minho's eyelashes fluttered slightly, laying stark against his unblemished skin. His nose was sharp and defined, and Seungmin felt himself smile slightly as he recalled the way it would scrunch up whenever Minho decided he didn't like something. Seungmin's eyes travelled across Minho's face, observing the distinct curve of his jaw, how his prominent cheekbones gave him the air of a prince rather than a university student. 

All of a sudden, Minho's eyes flew open, immediately meeting Seungmin's own. He held the gaze, not wanting to look away.

"You're staring," Minho stated.

"Mhmm," Seungmin confirmed.

"What are you thinking about?"

Seungmin blinked slowly, mulling over his next words. He rolled onto his side again, accidentally shifting closer to Minho than he intended. Neither of them pulled away.

"I... I don't want this to end,"

"Wow, could have fooled me. I thought we were trying to get you _away_ from your parents, not keep them around for forever,"

Seungmin pressed his lips together, playfully smacking Minho's shoulder.

"Shut up! You know what I mean," he whined.

"I know, I know," Minho smirked, before he grew serious again. "But, for the record, I don't want it to end either. I know it hasn't been long, but I think I'm enjoying being your fake boyfriend a little too much for it to be... _fake_ ," He admitted. Seungmin broke into a smile, reaching up to gently cup Minho's cheek, his subtle confirmation of his feelings giving Seungmin all the confidence he needed for his next move.

"Me, too," He said, before surging forwards, capturing Minho's lips in his. Minho sighed lazily into the kiss, wrapping an arm around Seungmin's waist and tugging him closer until they were pressed flush against eachother. It felt right, natural, as if they had done it a hundred times before, and Seungmin found himself wishing they had done it sooner. Low-rated Christmas movies were fun, but this would have been a _much_ better way of passing the time.

"Are you two going to stay in bed all day or can we open presents- Oh, Fuck! I'm so sorry!"

Seungmin pulled away, rolling his eyes at Chan who was stood in the doorway, hands over his rapidly reddening face.

"Do you people not know the concept of knocking?" Minho huffed, the situation far too similar to when Seungmin's mother had disturbed them. Chan at least had the decency to look apologetic.

"Sorry, but in my defence, I wasn't expecting you to have your tongues down eachother's throats- what happened to fake dating? You two are too confusing," 

Minho propped himself up on his elbows to scowl at Chan, though he wasn't particularly threatening.

"What, am I not allowed to kiss my fake boyfriend now?" He demanded. 

"Well- I- I guess not?" Chan responded, evidently struggling to comprehend the question.

"Don't mind him, Chan," Seungmin laughed, patting down Minho's particularly wild bed-head. "We'll be down in a second, just let us get dressed,"

Chan nodded, brushing off his confusion and skipping off down the hallway in a fashion Seungmin would have sooner expected from a five year old. 

"We should talk about this later," Seungmin said as he slid out of bed, Minho humming in agreement. For now, they had some presents to open- and, of course, breakfast to eat. Seungmin was still really hungry.

° • * . ☆ .° . ° •*

"And for you, my prince," Minho announced, dramatically falling into a low bow as he held out a box. Seungmin laughed as he accepted it, trying not to jostle it too much should it be something delicate.

"You have my gratitude, my lord," He teased, playing along with Minho's act. They both pretended to ignore the disgusted look Seungmin's parents sent him. "You didn't have to get me anything, though,"

"Hey, you're my boyfriend, I wanted to!" Minho insisted, waving a finger at Seungmin's face. "Besides, you got me something too- It would have looked pretty shitty of me if I had turned up empty handed,"

"Speaking of, you're supposed to _open it_ ," 

"Fine, fine," 

Both Minho and Seungmin tore into the wrapping paper at the same time, neither of them entirely sure what their packages may contain. Minho was the first to make it past all the sellotape, Seungmin's meticulous wrapping far easier to bypass than his own. He let out a loud gasp, holding up the contents of the box.

"Technically, they're not for you, but I figured you would definitely appreciate-"

"Shut up, these are perfect!" Minho shrieked, throwing his arms around Seungmin's shoulders. "Dori is going to look so cute, I'm going to be the coolest cat dad on the block," 

Seungmin grinned as he watched Minho gush over the wide variation of cat jumpers and bowties he had bought. It was incredibly endearing- Minho gasped every time he spotted one with a particularly cute pattern, and was already beckoning a sleepy Dori over to force one of the outfits on.

"Oh, she looks wonderful," He sniffed once he had completed his objective, wiping a fake tear from his eye. "Seungmin, look at our baby, isn't she wonderful,"

"She is," Seungmin agreed, trying to hold back his laughter as Dori rolled around on the carpet- it was evident that she didn't quite understand the article of clothing yet. "I suppose I made a good choice, then,"

"Oh, absolutely- Oh my gosh, open yours already!" Minho exclaimed, rolling his eyes as he noticed Seungmin's half-unwrapped gift. Seungmin chuckled, quickly resuming opening his present.

"Holy shit- Minho, I told you that you didn't need to get me this!" 

"Yeah, but I wanted to- I was the reason you broke your first one, anyway," Minho explained, gazing fondly at Seungmin as he fiddled with the buttons, snapping an experimental picture of their tree.

"Wow, this is really amazing- thank you, Minho, I love it so much," Seungmin breathed, placing a gentle kiss to Minho's cheek. Fortunately, Seungmin's parents had busied themselves with their own gifts, thus had no snide comments about the small show of affection. "Oh, that reminds me!"

Minho tilted his head in curiosity as Seungmin scrambled back to the tree, rooting around until he triumphantly pulled out what he was searching for.

"Here!" He said, thrusting the small gift towards Minho eagerly. Minho narrowed his eyes, accepting the gift and tentatively tearing into the paper.

Upon realising what it was that he had just unwrapped, Minho doubled over in laughter, clutching at his stomach as he fell to the side.

"My camera may have broken, but the SD card stayed intact- I must have taken the picture without realising, because I only found it while I was transferring my pictures to my laptop," Seungmin explained, grinning cheekily. 

"This is brilliant, oh my gosh- I'm going to hang this right where I can see it everytime I enter my apartment," Minho declared through his giggles, still laughing too hard to pull himself up. The picture in question had been taken on the day they met- It was a zoomed-in print of Minho, limbs flailing wildly as he fought to stay afloat, along with what they knew to be Dori clutched under his arm. Seungmin had miraculously managed to capture Minho mid-yell, and the end result was more than hilarious. 

"Oh my God- is that Minho?" Chan practically cackled, having come over to find out what had them falling about themselves. "You have got to send me a copy to show Felix,"

"Bold of you to assume I won't show him myself," Minho stated, narrowing his eyes at Chan, who only laughed in response.

Unfortunately, their little party of three was soon cut short. Mrs Kim shot them a glare from where she was seated, seemingly only just remembering their existence.

"Stop being so noisy, for heavens sake- and go and wash your hands, we're due to have dinner in precisely ten minutes," 

Seungmin threw a glance at the clock, only just realising the time- his mother absolutely _had_ to have them all seated at exactly 12pm to eat Christmas dinner or else she'd throw a tantrum about how her _perfect Christmas_ is ruined. Oh well, Seungmin wasn't complaining; he still hadn't eaten due to his mother forbidding him to eat lest he ruin his lunch.

"Stop sitting around, then, chop chop!" She insisted, her shrill voice startling the trio.

Seungmin sighed. They were in for a _long_ meal time.

° • * . ☆ .° . ° •*

"So, Seungmin- have you put anymore thought into studying economics?" Mr Kim prompted, taking a sip of his wine. Seungmin gritted his teeth, trying not to let his frustration show on his face.

As predicted, lunch was going... Well, it was going, and that's about it. Nobody had begun to throw their toys out of their pram (yet), however that didn't mean everything was going swimmingly. So far, Seungmin had been compared to Chan on several occasions, questioned on how hard he was studying and why he only visited once a year, and now he was once again being faced with queries about his future. Honestly, he was surprised they had managed to hold off on the question for so long.

"No, and I don't think I ever will," He forced out, pushing a burnt potato around his plate. "I'm doing well in music, I don't see any reason why I should move now,"

His parents shared a look, once again disappointed to recieve the same answer they had been given for years.

"I just don't see a good future in it," His father protested, wine sloshing out of his glass as he waved his arms around. "I mean, have you ever heard of a successful musician?"

Seungmin was willing to bet his father actually felt smug about that point, not even bothering to prove him otherwise from the sheer absurdity of the statement- Although, as it turns out, he didn't have to.

"Not to be rude, sir," Minho piped up, and Seungmin got the feeling that he was about to say something very rude- "But, are you aware that we are currently listening to Michael Bublé's Christmas album? Like, you know, the guy who won four Grammys and is probably rolling in cash as we speak?"

The silence that followed was broken only by Chan setting his fork down to hide a snigger behind his hand (and Michael Bublé, of course). Seungmin was sure he had never seen his father turn red faster.

"What your father _means_ to say is that you would be much better equipped for the real world if you were to go into a _real_ area of study," His mother stepped in, placing a hand on her husbands shoulder to calm him.

"Music _is_ a real area of study, mother, or else I wouldn't have been able to take it," Seungmin sighed, exasperated.

"You- what is it you do?" Seungmin's father demanded bluntly, focusing his attention on Minho. "Maybe this... _friend_ of yours can talk some sense into you,"

Minho beamed, delighted to have the attention all on him. Seungmin internally smirked, knowing they weren't going to like his answer.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I thought we made it clear- when Seungmin said _boyfriend_ he didn't mean friend that is a boy, he meant that we're dating!" Minho exclaimed brightly, slapping his forehead in mock disbelief. Seungmin watched with glee as his parents jaws dropped in unision. "Silly us, Seungmin. Anyway, to answer your question, I'm in the dance department. Personally, I think you should just let Seungmin follow his dreams, he's a wonderful singer-"

"I'm sorry, I don't remember asking your opinion on how to parent my own son," Seungmin's father growled, cutting Minho off.

"Forgive me, sir, but you kind of did,"

"For God's sake, Seungmin, why couldn't you just be _normal_ and get a girlfriend like your brother- this is utterly ridiculous and I am sick of this- this _delinquent_ ruining my Christmas!" Seungmin's mother squawked. 

"That's a new one," Minho muttered, raising his eyebrows to Seungmin in a look that spoke volumes of ' _Yikes, this woman is insane_ '.

"Girlfriend?" Chan asked, faking confusion. He sent a subtle wink towards Minho and Seungmin, their eyes widening in response as they realised what he was doing. "I don't have a girlfriend, though?"

Mrs Kim blanched. "But, you said-"

"I said I had a partner, mother- as in, I have a boyfriend?" He cut in, raising an eyebrow at his parents.

"How is Felix, by the way? I haven't talked to him since we left for the holidays, I hope he's still preparing for our performance," Minho smiled, playing along with Chan's facade.

"You- I- You!" Seungmin's father spat, his pointing finger rotating between the three of them before finally settling on Seungmin. "This is your fault! You stupid boy, look at what you've started! You are to stop talking to this _hoodlum_ immediately, and you are going to date a _woman_ and you are going to change your course and stop disappointing this family or _God so help me-_ "

"What are you going to do, Mr Kim?" Minho blurted, slamming a fist to the table. It was the first time Seungmin had seen him lose his temper, and if they hadn't been in such a situation he probably would have put a lot more thought into how much it suited him. "Tell me what the _fuck_ you think you're going to do about it?"

Mr Kim's eyes practically bugged out of his head- nobody had ever even _dared_ speak to him with such a tone before, and Seungmin almost feared his reaction. At his silence, though, Minho continued.

"Are you gonna cut him off? Because, let me tell you, that's not much of a threat. Full offense, you are both _horrible_ people, and _horrible_ parents who can't seem to recognise a good thing when they have it, and Seungmin would be _lucky_ to have you completely out of his life. You're too blinded by your status to see how amazing he is- how talented, how selfless, and smart and creative and how _great_ he is. Your son is quite literally the best person I have ever met, he saved my _life_ , and you can't see that because, what, he prefers to date boys? He wants to sing instead of study business, or whatever? I hope you know how fucking _pathetic_ that sounds, 'cause I sure do, and it's _pretty fucking pathetic._ "

Seungmin was stunned. Nobody had ever stood up for him like that, especially not to his parents. Not even Chan had tried to defend him that aggressively, and that was saying a lot.

"I want you out of my house," Seungmin's father snarled, his eyes dark and intimidating as he enunciated each word clearly.

"Gladly," Minho hissed, raising from his chair. "You're horrible cooks, too, by the way. Come on, Seungmin, we're going to spend Christmas with people who will _actually_ be happy to have us,"

Seungmin nodded silently, holding a hand in Minho's direction for him to take. 

"Seungmin, sit. If you walk out of that door, you're not coming back," His mother said, voice wobbling in anger.

Seungmin swallowed, hard. "I hope your friends enjoy hearing about your perfect Christmas, mother," he responded coldly. He then turned to Chan, tilting his head slightly towards the door as if to say, ' _you coming?_ '. Chan smiled gratefully, standing up quickly and moving to where Seungmin and Minho were waiting. 

"You do realise what this means, right?" Their mother asked, her words slightly frantic as she cottoned on to the fact that she was about to lose both her children in the same day. "You'll be completely cut off, you're going to have to take care of yourselves-"

"Yeah, good luck explaining this one," Chan interrupted, smiling bitterly. "Goodbye mother, father,"

At Chan's words, the three of them turned to leave the room. Seungmin could feel his heart hammering in his chest, a constant reminder of what had just transpired- though, he knew he didn't regret it. In fact, the feeling in his chest was closer to euphoria, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders and allowed him to finally fly freely.

"Holy shit, we're actually out of here," Chan said, laughter bubbling out of him as his brain finally caught up. "We never have to face them again,"

They arrived at Seungmin's door, ready to re-pack their bags and collect Dori before they left, this time for good. 

"Yes, but that begs the question, where are we going to go now?" Seungmin winced, hating to be the bearer of bad news. 

"Um- my parents actually arrived home yesterday, and I told them I was spending Christmas elsewhere but my mum always cooks enough to feed a small army, so like- the more the merrier, I guess," Minho grinned, adding awkward jazz hands to the end of his sentence. Gosh, Seungmin found him so endearing.

"Wait, why didn't you tell me? You could have spent Christmas with them rather than _this_ disaster," Seungmin pouted, squeezing Minho's hand.

"And that's my queue to go pack, I'll let you guys talk," Chan said, awkwardly slipping down the hall into his own room. Minho chuckled.

"I wanted to spend Christmas with you, stupid," He explained, poking at Seungmin's cheek. "Besides, this disaster was kind of my fault, so..."

Seungmin laughed, nodding his head in agreement. Minho smiled before looking down, his attention suddenly focused on playing with Seungmin's fingers.

"I know that look- what are you thinking," Seungmin asked, prompting Minho to look back at him. Minho took a deep breath, reminding himself that he had no reason to be nervous.

"Well... I was kind of hoping that I could introduce you as my _real_ boyfriend, this time around,"

At his words, Seungmin beamed, and Minho felt like everything in the world righted itself at once. 

"I would love nothing more,"

🎄🎄🎄

Growing up, Seungmin had never been particularly fond of Christmas. Now, though, as he sat in his _boyfriend's_ living room, surrounded by people who truly cared about him, everything had changed. Sure, he still loved the seasonal drinks that would be put on special, and walking home surrounded by twinkling lights, and, of course, he _especially_ loved smooches under the mistletoe- however, now there was something else, something that truly made Christmas the most wonderful time of the year.

Seungmin had a family, and for the first time in his life, he found himself looking forward to next year's holidays.

**Author's Note:**

> I TRIED SO HARD TO FINISH THIS BEFORE CHRISTMAS ENDS AND HERE I SIT, THREE MINUTES AFTER MIDNIGHT ON THE 26TH OF DECEMBER, HHHHH
> 
> anyway, i started this on the 23rd of december at 11am and finished now. i am not extremely proud of this, i think its rushed and probably filled with mistakes because my poor brain cells are completely fried, but i hope you enjoyed it nontheless!!
> 
> if ur curious pls check out my other fics and my twt is @binniesbutt if u wanna be friends !!! :D


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